Advice for a new tank starter?

[ahollland92690]

Hi everyone! so im starting an aquarium in a few weeks, a 26 bow front freshwater aquarium. Iv never had an aquarium only betas so if any one has advice PLEASE inform me (aka problems starting, algae, etc...anything!) i want my first experience to be a good one. I know i need a heater, filter...i know the supplies. just asking for any personal experiences any one has had that might help me out.

 

[mfdrookie516]

what do you plan to stock? IMO, pfs (pool filter sand) is the absolute best substrate you can go with. The first thing you absolutely have to do is cycle that new tank. You might as well figure on not having any fish for at least a couple weeks, maybe a month. There are lots of articles here about fishless cycling, which imo is the best and most humane way to get a tank started. You will also need a liquid test kit. Make sure the filter you get is rated for more than just the 26 gallons you will have, preferrably something in the 30-40 gallon range. As for a heater, make sure you get at the very minimum a 100w, preferrably 150w... Algae is a very easy problem to prevent. Dont leave the lights on. If youre not doing plants, there is no point what so ever in having your lights on for any other reason than to see the fish. Ive got to where i leave the lights on in my 150 gallon for maybe an hour or two a day. Alot of the other stuff you will figure out on your own. Oh, and dont forget to use water conditioner to remove any chloring/chloramine from the water

 

[ahollland92690]

ok cool thanks, its actually a tank packages so it comes with most the stuff i need. like it comes with a 30 gal filter, and a heater. no fishys for a while gotchya on that gotta give the tank time to acclimate. ya im not going to do real plants, i wanted to but i decided not to since im new to this hobby. im just going to go with fake ones for now until i get the hang of things and in the future when i know what im doing ill try live ones ill have the lights on a timer so i dont get caught up one turning them on and off. thanks

 

[partypalooza5]

Good luck with your new tank! (when you get it lol)

One major thing I can suggest is to not rush things and let nature take it's course. Some things (like cloudy water) are best resolved with either water changes or time, depending on the situation. When you dump chemical additives into the water to "fix" a problem, generally it just covers up the symptoms and doesn't get to the root of the problem (example: algae. Sure you can add algae killer or get an algae eater, but if the water paremeters are bad the algae wont go away)

Another thing I can suggest is to think about what fish you want BEFORE buying them, I went crazy and bought fish that looked cool when I should have thought about how big they get (adult size) and compatibility.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[spoonman]

Follow the fishless cycling link in my signature.

 

[ahollland92690]

thanks guys that helps!

 

[mgamer20o0]

personally hate the packages because they often come with under powered equipment. i am very selective in what i use also. good luck read up on cycling and dont be shy to ask questions.

 

[Nippy Fish]

Tips I've learned

1. Don't put your tank near a window.
2. Your tank will weigh around 250lbs...make sure your stand can handle it.
3. Make sure the surface of your stand is even and level.
4. Use a dark colored net.
5. Buy schooling fish in *schools*, not one or two of them.
6. Research the fish you are going to buy. I mean it. Make sure you know how big they are going to get, what area of the tank they will occupy, what kind of food they eat, preferred water temp, aggression level, etc., BEFORE you buy.
7. Always keep the best interests of the fish in mind first, rather than personal wants.

 

[ahollland92690]

i know the packages are kind of crappy, but the one that i am looking at -well boyfriend showed me- has a 30 gal filter on it but iv already told him that if what i get with the tank is insufficient then ill kick his booty n make him go buy better stuff or ill jus go buy it myself.
-thanks again - keep on comin with the hints and tips lol